Kung Fu Panda 2: Blu Ray Review

Kung Fu Panda 2: Blu Ray Review

Kung Fu Panda 2
Rating: PG
Released by Universal Home Ent
The big fat cuddly Karate kid of the animal world, Po is back in the sequel to the multi million grossing Kung Fu Panda.

This time around, Po, along with the Furious Five his kung fu gang, are forced to face off against Gary Oldman's peacock Lord Shen.
Shen was banished from China's Gongmen City after wiping out the pandas whom he believed would be responsible for his downfall thanks to misunderstanding a prophecy
But he's back and harnessing the power of fireworks to take back the city he was kicked out of.

Meanwhile, Po's on a dual quest - not only one to vanquish Shen, but a personal one to find out who his family were; however, his search is haunted by flashbacks as he nears the truth - can he find inner peace and do what needs to be done to save himself and his friends?

Kung Fu Panda 2 is an animated joy to watch; this time round, the creators have gone deeper on many levels.

Firstly, the animation is stunning and with frenetic and frantic kung fu fight scenes, there's visually so much to take in. Throw in some beautiful nods to Oriental artistry and shadow puppetry for ancient tales from their past and there's truly something to marvel in. But it's the clever use of different types of animation which make this - Po's quest in China is in computer animation and then for flashbacks to his childhood, they've used more traditional hand drawn animation - it's these flourishes which add to the richness of the story.

Secondly, the characters have been given a bit more depth this time round - no doubt thanks to the involvement of Guillermo del Toro; sure Black still brings his goofy wacky vocal ways to Po, but thanks to a push to give him a bit of an emotional journey to go on, there's more humanity on display too - which is rewarding
With an ending which tugs at the heartstrings, and hints at a third film to make this series a trilogy, Kung Fu Panda 2 is the perfect mix of fun and heart; it's perfect filmic fodder for the upcoming holidays
Extras: Commentary, panda stories, learn to speak Chinese - a reasonable bunch for a great story

Rating: 8/10